An early start turned into kinda of an early start. Goodbyes can take some time, and this one certainly did. We got on the road about 6 am with a bag of cinnamon sticks and some rolls for breakfast and set our sights on the beach at Costa Rica’s famous Manuel Antonio National Park. I type as we twist and turn through mountains filled with coffee plants and people on bikes and walking to begin their day. Our first stop was at the Rio Tarcolls to see crocodiles. We saw some but this is the rainy season so the river was high and they were not really out because the sun has not really burned through the clouds yet.
Now as we drive along the coast southwest we see glimpses of the Pacific Ocean along with lots of little tin shacks selling whatever they can to make some money. Mixed in is an occasional resort or a housing project that looks like it belongs around Virginia Beach or some other US beach. Ahh the sun now is coming out. Yes!! We prayed and are believing for our God to grant us sunshine this day. You see for the last week it has rained every afternoon except one. Everything here is green and g!! And did I tell you………..I’m a grandfather………………..very exciting times in my life right now.
Part 2
So after about 4 hours of driving earlier we made it to the beach. Sort of. First we stopped and picked up some lunch for later and some of us got breakfast. Instead of going straight to the beach we decided to go on a hike through the jungle to get to the beach. At first we were a little nervous because our whole group was in swimsuits and flip flops and when we looked around we saw groups with backpacks and hiking shoes…. But it turned out all right. We saw toucans, an iguana, a monkey, red crabby things, a bunch of littler monkeys, and raccoons. Once through the jungle we made it to the beach where we ate our lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches before we hit the beach. We had to be on the lookout for the little monkeys because if you weren’t watching they would come down and snatch something. It happened to one lady not from our group who wasn’t expecting it. She lost two juice boxes to a monkey who then shared them with another monkey. It drizzled most of the time we were there but we swam anyway and had lots of fun. There were some rocks we climbed and little snails that were closely examined. The water was a very nice temperature and the waves were medium size I guess. It was still raining when we climbed out of the water to rinse off. We hiked back to the van and we are now 2 hours into our drive back to the base. Luckily it just drizzled on our hike back… but now it’s raining pretty good. We have one hour left to go. I will definitely miss this country and its people but I can honestly say that I definitely will NOT miss vans crowded with people…. Especially wet people. It can be an interesting experience. Whoever uses this van after us will be blessed with a unique fragrance for their trip. When we get back to the base we are planning on getting some showers, food, and rest. Not necessarily in that order. It will be nice to have more than one bathroom to use again. I’m sure Carlos’s family is also relieved to have their house back after its hostage situation this week. Tomorrow it’s back to the states.
Proclaim
The Group
In the Beginning
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wow !!!! That went fast!!!!
Today was just like all the other days. It was different!!! We got up early and prepared to go to a public school to share with students there. The principal is a member of Carlos's church. She was very eager for us to come and to share with the students our own stories of faith. The school also fed us breakfast, it was delicious. We split into 2 groups and one painted and the other went into the classrooms to meet the students. The first class was a little awkward and only lasted 10 minutes as the bell rang and the class emptied. We went on to 2 other classes with much more success in telling our stories and helping them to hear and understand English. The final class we went to was the music class. There we got to exchange our music talents with each other. Scott and Levi jammed on the guitars and after Scott gave a testimony about how he hears God through music the students put their band together and played a song that they wrote. They were great to listen to and I saw inspiration on their lives. Each of the teachers were very interested in the things of God and wanted their students to connect with Him.
We stopped at a nearby garden that had dozens of sculpted plants. It was raining and our stop was very brief. Then off to "home" for some more rice and beans. Very good by the way. We are getting better at this meal thing. We can eat and clean up in a very short time ......if we want to....hahaha.
On our first day here I met a man named Norman. He is the director of tourism advancment. He gave us a real deal to go on the "Coffee Tour". coffe is the big industry here in Naranjo. Normaly it would cost a group our size about $300 to do the tour he hooked us up for $50 for the whole group plus all the coffee we wanted during the tour. We drank, ate and spelled coffee for 2 hours. Very interesting time. Cathy would have so loved this. Our tour guide was a very nice young man that I actually got to pray with. Lots of open people here in CR. Open to The Lord that is. A big rush to buy coffee ensued with most ending up buying at the local super market.
Again "home" for another meal and fellowship with our host. Very sweet people Carlos and Anita. After supper we packed and sent most of luggage to the YWAM base to make it easier tomorrow for our 5 am departure. Some went to the church to teach balloon twisting and some went shopping for repair parts to fix some stuff we broke in their home. After that time we gathered for probably our last team meeting on this trip, and encouraged each other with sharing and prayer. We made some decision on gifting for our hosts and set forth our plans for tomorrow.
Finally ........The Best News of The Day............I am now a grandfather. What a day
Aiden Carcamo is now fully alive and well. I can't wait to see and hold him.
Blessings from CR, Marcos Mentzer
We stopped at a nearby garden that had dozens of sculpted plants. It was raining and our stop was very brief. Then off to "home" for some more rice and beans. Very good by the way. We are getting better at this meal thing. We can eat and clean up in a very short time ......if we want to....hahaha.
On our first day here I met a man named Norman. He is the director of tourism advancment. He gave us a real deal to go on the "Coffee Tour". coffe is the big industry here in Naranjo. Normaly it would cost a group our size about $300 to do the tour he hooked us up for $50 for the whole group plus all the coffee we wanted during the tour. We drank, ate and spelled coffee for 2 hours. Very interesting time. Cathy would have so loved this. Our tour guide was a very nice young man that I actually got to pray with. Lots of open people here in CR. Open to The Lord that is. A big rush to buy coffee ensued with most ending up buying at the local super market.
Again "home" for another meal and fellowship with our host. Very sweet people Carlos and Anita. After supper we packed and sent most of luggage to the YWAM base to make it easier tomorrow for our 5 am departure. Some went to the church to teach balloon twisting and some went shopping for repair parts to fix some stuff we broke in their home. After that time we gathered for probably our last team meeting on this trip, and encouraged each other with sharing and prayer. We made some decision on gifting for our hosts and set forth our plans for tomorrow.
Finally ........The Best News of The Day............I am now a grandfather. What a day
Aiden Carcamo is now fully alive and well. I can't wait to see and hold him.
Blessings from CR, Marcos Mentzer
Monday, August 9, 2010
Pure Vida!!!!
Pura Vida! To the loyal followers of our Adventure here in Costa Rica!
This is Sammy (aka. Adult Leader #5… or something),
Today was filled with lots of activity and new experiences for us. We started our day getting ready (all 16 of us) in our 3 bedroom (1 bathroom) house. Organized Caos is the best way to describe our mornings.. But to round if off we always have an incredible breakfast made by Momma (Anita, our host mom). Soon enough we were off to the Nursing home down the street. We were all pretty nervous, not sure what to expect. Its tough relating to people out here when you cant hold a conversation with them. Its easy to relate with kids even with the language barrier, but it is a whole different story when dealing with adults and senior citizens. Basically the only way to entertain at a Nursing home is to engage in conversation. So God definitely helped us put those fears and nerves aside so we could open up and just love these people. We sang for them, Levi jammed on the guitar-o the whole time, we bought a ton of fruit to cut up and hand out, and we painted the ladies nails. Me and Liz talked to this one lady Regina for most of the time, she told us all about her marriage and her relationship with God. It was neat, she was 97 and still has a lot of life left in her. So it was definitely a cool experience, especially for those who haven’t had the chance to interact with elders like this before.
Our afternoon was set aside for shopping, we went to a Souvenir mall in Sarchi where we found some pretty sweet things for all of you back home
The end of our day consisted of cleaning the church that Carlos preaches at here in Naranjo. In Costa Rica there buildings are less than air tight, they don’t use insulation and they don’t seal up windows and doors. Needless to say when we sprayed down the church we basically gave the inside a bath as well. We walked in after washing the outside only to find a lake on the floor of the church.. Lesson learned: we need more towels when washing the church here.
Last but not least, we had our devotional/prayer time in the church after we finished cleaning. We sang some songs and then Mark had us do something a little different than we are used to. He anointed us with oil. He prayed a special prayer over each one of us and consecrated us with oil. It was really cool and I feel God is pushing us to be so much more than we are right now.
So keep us all in your prayers as we continue our journey as young Christians in this crazy world! Thank you so much for all your support!
Much Love! Buenos Noches!
-Sammy
This is Sammy (aka. Adult Leader #5… or something),
Today was filled with lots of activity and new experiences for us. We started our day getting ready (all 16 of us) in our 3 bedroom (1 bathroom) house. Organized Caos is the best way to describe our mornings.. But to round if off we always have an incredible breakfast made by Momma (Anita, our host mom). Soon enough we were off to the Nursing home down the street. We were all pretty nervous, not sure what to expect. Its tough relating to people out here when you cant hold a conversation with them. Its easy to relate with kids even with the language barrier, but it is a whole different story when dealing with adults and senior citizens. Basically the only way to entertain at a Nursing home is to engage in conversation. So God definitely helped us put those fears and nerves aside so we could open up and just love these people. We sang for them, Levi jammed on the guitar-o the whole time, we bought a ton of fruit to cut up and hand out, and we painted the ladies nails. Me and Liz talked to this one lady Regina for most of the time, she told us all about her marriage and her relationship with God. It was neat, she was 97 and still has a lot of life left in her. So it was definitely a cool experience, especially for those who haven’t had the chance to interact with elders like this before.
Our afternoon was set aside for shopping, we went to a Souvenir mall in Sarchi where we found some pretty sweet things for all of you back home
The end of our day consisted of cleaning the church that Carlos preaches at here in Naranjo. In Costa Rica there buildings are less than air tight, they don’t use insulation and they don’t seal up windows and doors. Needless to say when we sprayed down the church we basically gave the inside a bath as well. We walked in after washing the outside only to find a lake on the floor of the church.. Lesson learned: we need more towels when washing the church here.
Last but not least, we had our devotional/prayer time in the church after we finished cleaning. We sang some songs and then Mark had us do something a little different than we are used to. He anointed us with oil. He prayed a special prayer over each one of us and consecrated us with oil. It was really cool and I feel God is pushing us to be so much more than we are right now.
So keep us all in your prayers as we continue our journey as young Christians in this crazy world! Thank you so much for all your support!
Much Love! Buenos Noches!
-Sammy
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Howdy fellow Mennonites.
This is Sara Schlosser coming to you live from Naranjo, Costa Rica. Today was an eventful day, and it was even more gooder since we were still laughing at the fact that Mark cracked a filling yesterday by eating a piece of sugarcane candy. Hold the applause please. (Oh and Kathy… get the dentist ready.)
Anywho, after our breakfast of buttered and jammed bread and bananas we hit the market spreading the good news of the “fiesta” we were holding in the park at about 9:30. It was a challenge, because yesterday we just had to hand out papers but today we actually had to exercise our Spanish in full sentences. YIKES!!! But if all else failed, Liz had written down basic information that we could let the confused Costa Ricans read.
When we finished at the market we headed to the park with our supplies of face paints, balloons and invites to church on Sunday morning. At this point, the whole youth group started to notice Mark’s absence, but we didn’t make much of it… thinking that he was just going to go purchase a few pounds of sugarcane candy for the flight home. Naturally. When we started out at the park the location we had picked was not very busy so we moved our belongings to the main walkway. SHABAM! It took a while but after we started yelling “gratis” (free) the parents finally let their kids get a “perro” (dog) on their face or a sword balloon. One thing that we all noticed is that all of the people we served and gave to church invitations to actually read the paper and responded with a excited “Si!” they did not just throw the paper on the ground and ignore our effort. It was a real blessing.
When we started to wrap up (the clouds looked pretty threatening) Marko finally decided to show up. It wasn’t until later that he told us he thinks there are a lot of leader in our youth group, and that part of us doesn’t fully show if he is present. We didn’t know it till that night that he was stalking us the whole day, watching God work through us and seeing us help each other even if the task was out of our comfort zone.
We walked home and ate rice that had chopped corn, hot dogs and string beans in it with chips. I have one word to describe Costa Rican food… DELICIOSO! After lunch we had a good 30-40 minutes of devotions. During this time we study the daily devotion in a packet that Mark had created for our whole trip. Then we can spend the rest of the time either in prayer or reading our Bible.
It was unexpected but after devotions we went to a birthday party for a 1 year old. It was a blast. We got fed some more rice and chips (huzzah!!), coffee and we once again made balloons and helped paint little chicos’s faces. Costa Rican kids are ultimately adorable.
After the birthday party we had a very spiritual seeking, earth shattering meeting Plus, we had a group discussion about the daily devotional. In a nutshell, the motto for the day was basically “he who is forgiven much, loves much”. It was great because we really exercised our minds and spread our knowledge of spiritual truths.
When the meeting was complete some member of the youth group took a walk into town and purchased some cinnamon rolls with a diameter width of about 9 inches and amazingly awesome Costa Rican “helado” (ice cream). Then we finished off the night with some “chilling.” What a day.
This is Sara Schlosser coming to you live from Naranjo, Costa Rica. Today was an eventful day, and it was even more gooder since we were still laughing at the fact that Mark cracked a filling yesterday by eating a piece of sugarcane candy. Hold the applause please. (Oh and Kathy… get the dentist ready.)
Anywho, after our breakfast of buttered and jammed bread and bananas we hit the market spreading the good news of the “fiesta” we were holding in the park at about 9:30. It was a challenge, because yesterday we just had to hand out papers but today we actually had to exercise our Spanish in full sentences. YIKES!!! But if all else failed, Liz had written down basic information that we could let the confused Costa Ricans read.
When we finished at the market we headed to the park with our supplies of face paints, balloons and invites to church on Sunday morning. At this point, the whole youth group started to notice Mark’s absence, but we didn’t make much of it… thinking that he was just going to go purchase a few pounds of sugarcane candy for the flight home. Naturally. When we started out at the park the location we had picked was not very busy so we moved our belongings to the main walkway. SHABAM! It took a while but after we started yelling “gratis” (free) the parents finally let their kids get a “perro” (dog) on their face or a sword balloon. One thing that we all noticed is that all of the people we served and gave to church invitations to actually read the paper and responded with a excited “Si!” they did not just throw the paper on the ground and ignore our effort. It was a real blessing.
When we started to wrap up (the clouds looked pretty threatening) Marko finally decided to show up. It wasn’t until later that he told us he thinks there are a lot of leader in our youth group, and that part of us doesn’t fully show if he is present. We didn’t know it till that night that he was stalking us the whole day, watching God work through us and seeing us help each other even if the task was out of our comfort zone.
We walked home and ate rice that had chopped corn, hot dogs and string beans in it with chips. I have one word to describe Costa Rican food… DELICIOSO! After lunch we had a good 30-40 minutes of devotions. During this time we study the daily devotion in a packet that Mark had created for our whole trip. Then we can spend the rest of the time either in prayer or reading our Bible.
It was unexpected but after devotions we went to a birthday party for a 1 year old. It was a blast. We got fed some more rice and chips (huzzah!!), coffee and we once again made balloons and helped paint little chicos’s faces. Costa Rican kids are ultimately adorable.
After the birthday party we had a very spiritual seeking, earth shattering meeting Plus, we had a group discussion about the daily devotional. In a nutshell, the motto for the day was basically “he who is forgiven much, loves much”. It was great because we really exercised our minds and spread our knowledge of spiritual truths.
When the meeting was complete some member of the youth group took a walk into town and purchased some cinnamon rolls with a diameter width of about 9 inches and amazingly awesome Costa Rican “helado” (ice cream). Then we finished off the night with some “chilling.” What a day.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Rain Dodging in Naranjo
Today was our first day at the Pastor’s home in Naranjo. In the morning we went on a hike to Holy Spirit Mountain. It is a mountain that was originally dedicated to the Holy Spirit, but over the years the mountain has been used for pagan rituals. There was even Wiccan writing and symbols on the monument that was built there. One hundred years ago the mountain, actually a volcano, was showing signs of erupting. The people gathered to pray and to this day the volcano is declared dead. The Christians are now working to take back the land, so we spent the morning picking up trash and hiking down the mountain. The view from the mountain was beautiful. The group that hiked home had many different opportunities to try wild fruit that the pastor got for them. We have learned that most Costa Ricans are not able to estimate time or distance. Our 1 hour hike home turned into a 2 hour muddy flight from a pursuing rain storm. Some enjoyed it; others didn’t like the new experience.
In the afternoon we went to the local market and handed out invitations to the church here in Naranjo. The market had lots of interesting new fruit to try as well. There was lots of really cool interaction with the people there. We find the Costa Rican people to be very friendly and open to talking about The Lord. I wish the United States people had time to stop and talk to others even in the middle of their busy schedules. Tonight we are planning on going to a Fiesta in the center of town. Oh by the way the brave members of our group tried a new breakfast food. They drank raw turtle eggs in a juice. Some were brave enough to try while others chickened out. *cough* Mark *cough*. ( My personal opinion is that Mark may be one of the smarter people in the group.) ha ha!
We have had some time to hang out as a group because of some rain storms that come and go. Life for us kinda depends on the weather. Pray for us to have good weather.
Proclaim
In the afternoon we went to the local market and handed out invitations to the church here in Naranjo. The market had lots of interesting new fruit to try as well. There was lots of really cool interaction with the people there. We find the Costa Rican people to be very friendly and open to talking about The Lord. I wish the United States people had time to stop and talk to others even in the middle of their busy schedules. Tonight we are planning on going to a Fiesta in the center of town. Oh by the way the brave members of our group tried a new breakfast food. They drank raw turtle eggs in a juice. Some were brave enough to try while others chickened out. *cough* Mark *cough*. ( My personal opinion is that Mark may be one of the smarter people in the group.) ha ha!
We have had some time to hang out as a group because of some rain storms that come and go. Life for us kinda depends on the weather. Pray for us to have good weather.
Proclaim
Day 3 or The Great Move
Well today was quite an adventure. It started very early and we hurried and then experienced the typical Latin America phenomenon………………Hurry up and Wait!!!!! I (Mark) was driving and leading the way to The Salvation Army to help serve breakfast to homeless people of that area. The wait was an accident between a bus and a small car. Just imagine cars and trucks all stacked up in both directions on a main thoroughfare with motorcycles buzzing all around between the stuck cars. After about 10 minutes of sitting and waiting we did our best impression of a Costa Rican driver and busted a move between many cars and huge trucks and took on a bus head on and won. Hahaha I am not sure how long that back up lasted but somehow I am sure it was at least an hour. Cars were driving up over the curb to get around and the bus driver just stood there all dejected. Quite an experience all itself.
When we arrived at the SA we got right to work with everybody switching up the jobs from the previous day. We also added some music to the program while the folks dined. Levi and Scott did a great job together. We fed less people this day but I had a very intense encounter with a young man that used to work at a Christian Radio station. The guy was quoting Scripture left and right but only the ones that made him feel ok and they were kinda twisted in his interpretation at that. I was really wondering how this could happen. To go from a Christian professional to homeless with an addiction living on the streets for the last 10 months. I push on him pretty hard and he did not respond very well. Understand he was pretty well under the influence when I started talking with him. He would laugh at me and make some brush off comments but in the end he cried and got up and left saying he had to because he was sensing the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We cleaned up and packed up and as we were leaving ……….getting into our vans, I saw him there, Antonio, waiting to talk with me. It was good and after some prayer and more talk, I think he may now be a candidate for the drug program there at the SA.
The ride home was an adventure too. One of our vans overheated and we had to stop and figure out the problem. After some time we figured out we couldn’t figure it out, and had to call for another ride. The breakdown thwarted our plan to go and get another breakfast at McDonalds. Probably God’s will!!!!!!!!!!! Back to the base to pack and spend some time in devotions. Lunch and a team meeting and we were ready to go to Naranjo. But first we had
to pack the van in the rain. Our suitcases were put on the roof and tarped over for the rain.
We drove in the driving rain………I mean pouring rain, for about an hour. Suitcases mostly survived.
We met and took over the home of Carlos and Anita Sala. A very generous and fun family. Their house is nice but not that big. Very nice evening, we ate supper and went to church and after that we went downtown and walked around the town for a while. Right now (2:45am), your time, the house is still awake and a couple of card games going on. Not sure when this is gonna end, but I hope soon cause tomorrow is already here.
Proclaim
When we arrived at the SA we got right to work with everybody switching up the jobs from the previous day. We also added some music to the program while the folks dined. Levi and Scott did a great job together. We fed less people this day but I had a very intense encounter with a young man that used to work at a Christian Radio station. The guy was quoting Scripture left and right but only the ones that made him feel ok and they were kinda twisted in his interpretation at that. I was really wondering how this could happen. To go from a Christian professional to homeless with an addiction living on the streets for the last 10 months. I push on him pretty hard and he did not respond very well. Understand he was pretty well under the influence when I started talking with him. He would laugh at me and make some brush off comments but in the end he cried and got up and left saying he had to because he was sensing the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We cleaned up and packed up and as we were leaving ……….getting into our vans, I saw him there, Antonio, waiting to talk with me. It was good and after some prayer and more talk, I think he may now be a candidate for the drug program there at the SA.
The ride home was an adventure too. One of our vans overheated and we had to stop and figure out the problem. After some time we figured out we couldn’t figure it out, and had to call for another ride. The breakdown thwarted our plan to go and get another breakfast at McDonalds. Probably God’s will!!!!!!!!!!! Back to the base to pack and spend some time in devotions. Lunch and a team meeting and we were ready to go to Naranjo. But first we had
to pack the van in the rain. Our suitcases were put on the roof and tarped over for the rain.
We drove in the driving rain………I mean pouring rain, for about an hour. Suitcases mostly survived.
We met and took over the home of Carlos and Anita Sala. A very generous and fun family. Their house is nice but not that big. Very nice evening, we ate supper and went to church and after that we went downtown and walked around the town for a while. Right now (2:45am), your time, the house is still awake and a couple of card games going on. Not sure when this is gonna end, but I hope soon cause tomorrow is already here.
Proclaim
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Dia 3
Today we woke up bright and EARLY to eat breakfast at 6:30 to leave the base by 6:45. We packed up in two vans and headed to the Salvation Army where we helped to serve breakfast. The people came to eat in shifts. We filled the 3 tables with approx. 18 people at a time and served them their food, washed the dishes, filled them up again, new people filed in, we served them food, etc. etc. It felt like it took a while but in reality it didn’t take that long. Some people were in the kitchen filling plates and coffee cups and washing dishes and the rest were out in the dining room serving the food and trying to interact with the people. We are finding the language barrier a little frustrating… but we’ll make it.
Then we packed up and came back to the base where we had a little free time before lunch. After lunch we once again packed up in the vans and headed out with a special truck labeled the Metro. A side of the back folds down to make a stage. We took the truck and ourselves to a neighborhood about an hour from the base and set up shop. Once we got there and turned on some music kids started coming from nowhere. We played games with them first – musical chairs, hot potato, etc. – and then we got out the craft we had brought with us to do. A great time and a big mess later we rounded them up to tell them a short story with puppets about Jonah and the big whale… the starring role of the whale being played by a frog puppet. Lastly we had a great time with some balloons. We were right beside a basketball court where a lot of the guys played soccer with some of the locals for most of the time. Again it was a little frustrating not being fluent in Spanish but we’re making it… Liz is our star interpreter of the week.
Then we headed back to the base for supper. We had a dish of beef and onions and sauerkraut mixed together… at least that’s what I think it was… and also salad and rice. (surprise!) It was very good though and we were all hungry. So all in all it was a very good, busy, satisfying day. I think our group is growing closer and we’re all getting along so far. Tomorrow we are serving breakfast again at the Salvation Army and then in the afternoon we are packing up and heading to Naranjo where we will stay at the pastor’s house of the church we’re helping out. We will be staying there until the 11th doing various projects. Prayer for a smooth transition will be greatly appreciated! Proclaim
Then we packed up and came back to the base where we had a little free time before lunch. After lunch we once again packed up in the vans and headed out with a special truck labeled the Metro. A side of the back folds down to make a stage. We took the truck and ourselves to a neighborhood about an hour from the base and set up shop. Once we got there and turned on some music kids started coming from nowhere. We played games with them first – musical chairs, hot potato, etc. – and then we got out the craft we had brought with us to do. A great time and a big mess later we rounded them up to tell them a short story with puppets about Jonah and the big whale… the starring role of the whale being played by a frog puppet. Lastly we had a great time with some balloons. We were right beside a basketball court where a lot of the guys played soccer with some of the locals for most of the time. Again it was a little frustrating not being fluent in Spanish but we’re making it… Liz is our star interpreter of the week.
Then we headed back to the base for supper. We had a dish of beef and onions and sauerkraut mixed together… at least that’s what I think it was… and also salad and rice. (surprise!) It was very good though and we were all hungry. So all in all it was a very good, busy, satisfying day. I think our group is growing closer and we’re all getting along so far. Tomorrow we are serving breakfast again at the Salvation Army and then in the afternoon we are packing up and heading to Naranjo where we will stay at the pastor’s house of the church we’re helping out. We will be staying there until the 11th doing various projects. Prayer for a smooth transition will be greatly appreciated! Proclaim
Man are we Tired!!!
Yesterday was a great day we enjoyed an early breakfast and had time to spend with The Lord. What a good start. After this around 8 we hopped on a bus and went to the downtown area of San Jose. We went to a park and set up shop with face paints, twist balloons and The Holy Spirit. Just 10 minutes in we got kicked out of the park, which is actually a concrete plaza encircled by benches and sidewalks that were lined with shops. Underneath the plaza is a museum about gold. I think they thought we were up to no good haha. They must have seen the drilling equipment we had. We could have stayed if we had filed a request to the proper authorities. So we went to plan B and went to another park around the corner. We were busy making balloons and painting faces and conversing with many locals. Great time of showing the love of Jesus. The youth really responded and went right to it. The cool part of the time was prayer with 2 men for salvation and another for a recommitment to Jesus. Pray for Emmanuel and Carlos and also for Oscar. I don’t know what the future holds for these men we only wanted to be faithful wherever we go. In a perfect world we would have follow up and more. All we had to offer was Jesus and a Bible along with much prayer.
The afternoon was filled with practical works around the base. Painting, building, tearing down giant bamboo trees, washing cars and trucks. Very full day already…….but there was more to do after supper.
We bought some bread and made a big pot of coffee and took 4 gallons of juice to feed the needy. You go to any big city and you can find the area where the homeless sleep on the sidewalks. This was particularly sad. Many problems, very pathetic stories and hopelessness were everywhere. We did not take enough food…….to our disappointment. We prayed but we too felt all we could do was give them some bread and drink. They were very appreciative and also very hungry. Who knows how long and where their next meal would come from. One man Umberto had a large wound on his stomach from being stabbed. He sat there with some gauzy type rags covering it. I do not know how he avoids infection. His intestine hanging out and dirt everywhere and there were more that were worse off than he. In the end approx. 50 were fed and about 20 were turned away with nothing.
Team meeting time was next and after that everyone was ready for bed. Breakfast at 6:30 and then we leave to feed homeless children their breakfast. Proclaim
The afternoon was filled with practical works around the base. Painting, building, tearing down giant bamboo trees, washing cars and trucks. Very full day already…….but there was more to do after supper.
We bought some bread and made a big pot of coffee and took 4 gallons of juice to feed the needy. You go to any big city and you can find the area where the homeless sleep on the sidewalks. This was particularly sad. Many problems, very pathetic stories and hopelessness were everywhere. We did not take enough food…….to our disappointment. We prayed but we too felt all we could do was give them some bread and drink. They were very appreciative and also very hungry. Who knows how long and where their next meal would come from. One man Umberto had a large wound on his stomach from being stabbed. He sat there with some gauzy type rags covering it. I do not know how he avoids infection. His intestine hanging out and dirt everywhere and there were more that were worse off than he. In the end approx. 50 were fed and about 20 were turned away with nothing.
Team meeting time was next and after that everyone was ready for bed. Breakfast at 6:30 and then we leave to feed homeless children their breakfast. Proclaim
Monday, August 2, 2010
We're Here!!!!
Many miles and sleepless hours later we arrived at the YWAM Base in San Jose. A combination of third world charm and incomplete projects. Many warm people and good food awaited us as we worked to blend in to the culture there. The diversity of the people at the base was also a surprise, as there were Asians, Caucasians, Jamaicans, and Costa Ricans all present at the base. The food was equally diverse as any day we could have rice and beans only to be surprised for supper with beans and rice.
Praise Report! After Casey was sick most of the plane ride she is now feeling better after a little sleep and rest. Elliot Groff also almost got kicked out of the airport for hurling in a trash can. He had to pick a twelve thousand dollar trash can to puke in though. Nothing but the best for Elliot. We have our schedule and it's very full with lots of opportunities to work with the parts of San Jose society that isn't doing so well. Thanks for your prayers and interest in this mission. Leave comments and/or prayers and that will be great encouragement for us. Breakfast tomorrow at six thirty. Proclaim.
Praise Report! After Casey was sick most of the plane ride she is now feeling better after a little sleep and rest. Elliot Groff also almost got kicked out of the airport for hurling in a trash can. He had to pick a twelve thousand dollar trash can to puke in though. Nothing but the best for Elliot. We have our schedule and it's very full with lots of opportunities to work with the parts of San Jose society that isn't doing so well. Thanks for your prayers and interest in this mission. Leave comments and/or prayers and that will be great encouragement for us. Breakfast tomorrow at six thirty. Proclaim.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Ready or Not Here it Comes!!!!!
Hey there,
I am so looking forward to this trip. Not for any reason more than wanting to be obeidient to The Lord. At it's foundation this mission was a directive from Our God. One evening, in prayer several youth felt a leading to go on a trip/mission for Jesus. After some more time in prayer Costa Rica came and it was confirmed. So "Here We Are". While we have struggled some to meet regularly we have felt a great sense of community from the Stumptown congregation and are now building lots of momentum for next week. Thank you so very much Stumptown for your beleif in us and your faithfulness as a congregation to Our God.
We go with expectation............it is very often that this is wher we meet The Lord.....at our expectation.
Here is a list of all our team members
I am so looking forward to this trip. Not for any reason more than wanting to be obeidient to The Lord. At it's foundation this mission was a directive from Our God. One evening, in prayer several youth felt a leading to go on a trip/mission for Jesus. After some more time in prayer Costa Rica came and it was confirmed. So "Here We Are". While we have struggled some to meet regularly we have felt a great sense of community from the Stumptown congregation and are now building lots of momentum for next week. Thank you so very much Stumptown for your beleif in us and your faithfulness as a congregation to Our God.
We go with expectation............it is very often that this is wher we meet The Lord.....at our expectation.
Here is a list of all our team members
- Sara Schlosser
- Rachel Meck
- Sheila Meck
- Paige Beiler
- Casey Felpel
- Amanda Aponte
- Jordan deSilva
- Austin deSilva
- Elliot Groff
- Sterling Beiler
- Levi Schlosser
- Sam Beiler Leader
- Scott Stoltzfus Leader
- Sammy Beiler Leader
- Liz Hostetter Translator
- Mark Mentzer Team Leader
Pray for us and let us know what you are hearing from The Lord, or any other comments/encouragements you may have.
With expectation, Mark
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Gettin' Ready for Costa Rica
Well here it is....less than a week before we leave on this mission. Some are wondering what will happen and some are wondering what to pack and some didn't even realize they have to pack. As we prepare to go there are some foundational factors that need to be understood.
- This trip is a misson unto The Lord first and formost
- This trip is the result of a group of people believing The Lord together for it to happen
- This trip is an extension of the ministry of Stumptown Mennonite Church
So as we "Get Ready", this is not just a trip, it is a result of many people submitting to a dierective of The Lord and all pulling in the same direction.
Please pray for us.....we leave August 2nd and return August 12th
- A divine hearing of God's voice
- Strength/Health
- Holy desires
- Fruit of The Spirit in abundance
- Souls added to The Kingdom
- Favor with the people we meet
- Fearlessness of failure or the unknown
So please follow along and comment if you like. We will add comment daily if we can and as we can.
There will be a prayer meeting at Stumptown Mennonite Church on Sunday night August 8th at 7 PM. Come and help us!!!!
blessings, Mark
Monday, July 26, 2010
I decided to try this out and make sure I know how it works. :) So here are some fun facts about Costa Rica since that's what this is all about.
The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose with Spanish being the main language. It's the home of the only butterfly that makes a sound. It's also the home of the world's largest private bug collection. December 1, 1948, President Jose Figueres abolished Costa Rica's army, making 2008 their 60th year without an army. And lastly, apparently Cost Rica does not have many road signs or addresses. It's pretty much defined by landmarks... hopefully our guide knows where she's going!
The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose with Spanish being the main language. It's the home of the only butterfly that makes a sound. It's also the home of the world's largest private bug collection. December 1, 1948, President Jose Figueres abolished Costa Rica's army, making 2008 their 60th year without an army. And lastly, apparently Cost Rica does not have many road signs or addresses. It's pretty much defined by landmarks... hopefully our guide knows where she's going!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)